Skye

[bubba]

Has anyone ever been in the Skye caves - they look fun!

http://www.hnh.dircon.co.uk/skye_idx.htm

 

[RockDoctor]

Has anyone ever been in the Skye caves - they look fun!

http://www.hnh.dircon.co.uk/skye_idx.htm

Yes, I have, and yes they are. BUT ...
... there's not a lot to them.
The caves in the Cill Chrioshd valley (ummm, Streetmap link http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=161400&Y=819840&A=Y&Z=5 ) are all very small and shallow because they're underlain by a granite body that intrudes into the Cambrian limestones. Great if you're looking to cave in granite or collect skarn mineralisation nodules, but not the place for Caverns Measureless to Man.

On the south side of the hill (Beinn Bhuidhe, IIRC) there's a nice little through trip, Uamh allt nam Leac ('Cave of the stream of the Slabs'). Well, it's a through trip of the bottom end isn't sumped (you go past it walking up from the coast track - check the resurgence bedding plane) and if the exit isn't blocked by dead sheep. That's a nice hour or so of a trip, if you don't indulge too much in the "Is this the entrance?" sub-sport of troglodytery. Well worth the wander.
But all in all, there's probably 3 hours of caving to be had on Skye (unless you find Filthy Simon's Master Cave). So if you're making the trip ,you'd better resign yourself to doing a bit of stuff where sunburn is at least a theoretical possibility.
By the way, the Skye midges in August have an undeserved reputation. They're actually very friendly.

The definitive tome for the area is 'Scotland Underground', edited by Alan 'Goon' Jefferies. I believe that it's out of print now, but I remember hearing rumour a while ago that it was being re-printed.

(Yes, I do know that the original post is 2 years old. And without any sort of an answer yet?)

 

[rhychydwr1]

For more information on the Caves of Skye see:

CAVES OF SKYE Part 5 In The Series The Limestone Caves of Scotland or Grampian Speleological Group Occasional Publication No 7 by Peter F Ryder 1995 73 pp 17 photos 32 maps / surveys. Very detailed and concise guide book. An essential reference work. SB

This is available from the Grampian Speleological Group, but it only cover a small section of the island.

Details of the rest of the caves can be found in:

THE REMAINING CAVES OF SCOTLAND excluding: Appin, Applecross, Assynt, Caithness, Hebrides, Kintyre, Mid-Argyle, Orkneys, St Kilda, Schichallion, Shetland, Skye, Southern Highlands and South Western Scotland, and Sutherland compiled by Tony Oldham 2006 63 pp surveys etc. This book has been published to bring the original New Caves of Scotland up-to date and to record the caves which are not described in any of the other books mentioned below. To avoid duplication, the caves of Appin etc have been omitted. To make this book more compact, and, hopefully, more readable, the references have been omitted. These are available as a supplementary volume called, "Caves of Scotland: A Bibliography". Available from:

tonyfoldham@hotmail.com

 

[paul]

Has anyone ever been in the Skye caves - they look fun!

http://www.hnh.dircon.co.uk/skye_idx.htm

(Yes, I do know that the original post is 2 years old. And without any sort of an answer yet?)

The reply was maybe a bit late for Bubba - but my club have a trip to Skye planned for the end of next month - so it was useful to me!

 

[RockDoctor]

Actually, I'm going to be heading over with family in about 24 hours. Might take a torch and a pair of wellies and see if I can re-find the entrance to TinCan Alley. Tried persuading their ladyships of the pleasures of Uig and North Skye, but they've plumped for Torridon that night, so there won't be much time for just wandering around.

 

[wormster]

Hmmmm cause for thought reading this section, am going to be in Skye later this year.........

ages ago (maybe 20 years) did go into Fingals cave by boat and on foot, though it took a few days to get there though!!

 

[RockDoctor]

Fingal's Cave is on Staffa, SW of Mull.
Are you thinking of the "Spar Cave" near Elgol?

If you're near Elgol, be aware that the last boat for the walkabout at Coiruisk leaves Elgol at about 11:15, so you do need to get there early, or book in advance.

 

[wormster]

No I do mean Fingals cave, mu cuz used to be in the navy we sailed all over the western isles as far north as benbecula, visitng all the islands on the way over the course of several summer holidays in the mid 80's!

 

[workshopmonkey]

Spend a lot of time underground after work and at weekends, I'm lucky first good system is 2 mins down rorad. I've been exploring around here for years and still haven't exhausted possibilities, so ther's a hell of a lot more than 3 hours fun to be  had

 

[mrodoc]

RE Skye. Was there 2 years ago with WCC.  'Tin Can Alley' is unmissable now having a major archaelogical dig beside it which has now connected with the main cave. It now has it's own web site (Google High Pasture Cave).  Some nice cave at Breakish just upstream from the bridge. Ask permission from the houseowner on the opposite side of the road for parking  Macleod,John at 38 Lower Breakish Isle of Skye IB42 8QA. You walk up the stream bed to reach the cave which is on the right hand side going upstream.  There is a lower Breakish Cave but this is rather muddy.  the longest cave is at the head of a valley (Valley Head Cave) reached by a track along Loch Slapin. It is very wet but in the right conditions makes a sporting through trip.  At low tide near Elgol is Spar Cave, marked on the OS map.  Watch the tide. Well worth a visit as one big mass of pastel coloured stal. This can be done with a good torch and no caving gear.  Hope this helps.

 

[Agrophobic]

Plenty more than 3 hours good caving on skye, although not if you want big caverns and 100ft pitches.
if tight, sporting, technical holes are your thing then there's years of fun to be had.
"caves of skye" is the guide to get you started, the rest you'll just have to find yourself.

 

[workshopmonkey]

There are a number of caves which  u need srt gear to tackle. These are off the beaten track but even better for that. One listed in the caves of skye is Allt na pairte another is Beinn na dubhich ( has a really unusual peat arch in the waterfall chamber).

 

[Mrs Trellis]

BBC Radio 4's Open Country had an edition on Skye's Mesolithic hunter gatherers and there was a piece on High Pasture Cave.

Skye Scavengers